Every Goole Vikings signing for 2025 including Hull FC and Hull KR men ahead of League 1 debut

Ben Olawumi
Thomas Minns, Jamie Shaul, Josh Guzek

From left to right: Thomas Minns, Jamie Shaul and Josh Guzdek have all signed deals with Goole Vikings for 2025

League 1 newcomers Goole Vikings have already been busy in the transfer market ahead of their debut season in the professional pyramid, with a plethora of signings already announced.

Based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the Vikings reigned supreme in the RFL’s bidding process to join League 1 – and will make up an 11-team division in the third tier next term.

They have appointed former Hull FC and England prop Scott Taylor as head coach, and he has brought in some familiar faces to his side for next year.

Kevin Marshall has been appointed as Taylor’s assistant, stepping up from his role as the club’s amateur team coach.

Here is a full run-down of every signing Goole have made ahead of 2025 so far…

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Tom Halliday

Tom Halliday
Tom Halliday in action for Doncaster in 2024

Halliday, 28, was the very first signing confirmed by the Vikings. Born in Goole, he joins the Vikings from Championship outfit Doncaster – who he has been with since 2019.

The winger, who gained promotion via the League 1 play-offs with the Dons in 2023, scored 59 tries in 81 appearances during his time at the Eco-Power Stadium. His only two previous senior appearances came for Dewsbury Rams in the 2017 campaign.

Ben Hodder

22-year-old Hodder is also a local, and he makes the step up into the ‘professional’ ranks in joining the Vikings having been plying his trade in the Yorkshire League for the club’s amateur side.

Also an outside-back, Hodder hails from the village of Holme-on-Spalding Moor.

Jamie Shaul

Jamie Shaul
Jamie Shaul (ball in hand) breaks clear to score a try for Hull FC during their 2016 Challenge Cup final triumph against Warrington Wolves

Ex-Hull FC stalwart Shaul was Goole’s first ‘big name’ recruit, with boss Taylor calling upon the services of his former Airlie Birds team-mate and long-time pal.

Now 32, one-time England international Shaul made exactly 200 appearances for the Black and Whites, winning the Challenge Cup in 2016 and 2017. He also made appearances for Wakefield Trinity and York, announcing his retirement from rugby league in October 2023.

The outside-back, who scored over 100 tries for Hull, has spent the last year donning a shirt for Hull RUFC in rugby union, and will now return to league with Goole.

Josh Guzdek

29-year-old Guzdek, whose primary position is at full-back, joins Goole from Doncaster where he has spent the last 18 months or so. Winning promotion via the League 1 play-offs in 2023, he scored eight tries in 30 appearances for the Dons overall.

A Skirlaugh Bulls junior, Guzdek joined Hull KR aged 13 and went on to make two Super League appearances for the Robins, one in 2013 and one in 2015.

Over the years, he’s also donned a shirt for Newcastle Thunder, Coventry Bears (now Midlands Hurricanes), Keighley Cougars, Dewsbury, Sheffield Eagles, London Skolars and Doncaster, amassing more than 200 senior appearances.

Thomas Minns

Thomas Minns
Thomas Minns (ball in hand) in action for Hull KR in 2016

Another former KR ace has joined the Vikings in the shape of outside-back Minns, 30, who made 49 appearances for the Robins between 2016 and 2018 with 34 tries to his name for the East Hull outfit.

Born in Leeds, Minns came through the Rhinos’ youth ranks and made his senior bow at Headingley. Having also featured for London Broncos, Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield as well as KR, he has over 100 first-team appearances on his CV.

Last playing in the professional game in 2022 for Wakefield, the veteran stepped down from full-time rugby league to concentrate on establishing a career in the fire and rescue service, but has been granted permission to take up an opportunity with Goole.

Alex Holdstock

The first forward signed by Goole ahead of their League 1 debut was 23-year-old Holdstock, who signs for the Vikings having made 60 appearances for Doncaster.

Able to play through the middle or in the back row, Holdstock came through the junior ranks with Hull KR before making the move to the Dons and making his senior bow at the age of 18 back in February 2020.

Reece Dean

Reece Dean
Reece Dean in action for Newcastle Thunder in 2021

Goole’s seventh recruit of the off-season was half-back Dean, who came through the youth ranks at Hull FC but departed the MKM Stadium before making a first-team appearance.

Set to turn 28 in November, Dean amassed 49 appearances in rugby league across games in the colours of Doncaster, Sheffield, Hunslet, Newcastle Thunder and Rochdale Hornets, scoring 14 tries and kicking 107 goals in the process.

More recently however, the playmaker has starred for Hull RUFC, setting a new club record for the most goals in a single season last year and scoring 247 points.

Brett Ferres

38-year-old Ferres, who has 17 England caps on his CV, became the Vikings eighth off-season signing.

The veteran joins from Doncaster, where he has spent the last two seasons, winning promotion via the League 1 play-offs in 2023 and tallying 43 appearances for the club in total.

A one-time Super League winner, Ferres needs just 14 more appearances to reach the tally of 450 in his career having donned the shirts of Bradford Bulls, Wakefield, Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants, Leeds and Featherstone as well as Doncaster.

Lennon Bursell

Ex-Hull FC youngster Bursell has also put pen to paper on a deal at Goole ahead of 2025 following his departure from the MKM Stadium.

Able to play across the forward pack, the teenager was named in a handful of FC’s 21-man squads during the 2024 season, though never made a senior appearance for the Black and Whites prior to leaving the club.

Captaining the Airlie Birds’ academy side and featuring for their reserves, he has five first-team games under his belt in League 1 having gained experience out on loan with Newcastle Thunder in the season just gone.

Jack Aldous

33-year-old Aldous, a product of Hull FC’s academy setup, will return to the ‘professional’ section of the British game’s pyramid for the first time since 2020 having joined the Vikings.

The prop, who made his senior debut for FC back in 2011, has over 100 League 1 appearances on his CV as well as close to 50 in the Championship having donned a shirt for Hunslet, Newcastle Thunder and York.

Harry Aldous

Announced at the same time, younger brother Harry – 28 – also joins Taylor’s side ahead of their maiden League 1 campaign. He too last featured in the ‘professional’ section of the game’s pyramid back in 2020 with Newcastle Thunder.

A Hull KR academy graduate, the back-rower played 93 games for Thunder between 2016 and 2020 having departed the Robins without making a senior appearance. He also has three appearances for York on his CV, made in 2019.

Callum Rutland

Goole’s 12th confirmed signing ahead of their League 1 debut was Rutland, who is able to slot in at hooker or in the halves. Now 20, the playmaker began his career in the youth ranks at community club Heworth/

He went on to spend time in the academy and reserve teams at Hull FC, as well as featuring for Yorkshire in the Academy Origin Series. Following his exit from FC, he linked up with Midlands Hurricanes, but swiftly returned to Heworth, the club he joins the Vikings from.

Ben Dent

The Vikings’ 13th recruit for 2025 came in the shape of one-time Germany international Ben Dent. Now 33, Dent spent six seasons with York between 2012 and 2017, featuring 79 times for the Knights.

He also enjoyed a season with Newcastle Thunder in 2018 before making the switch to rugby union. The veteran will return to semi-professional rugby league for Goole’s debut year League 1 after recently plying his trade for community club Heworth.

Mackenzie Harman

Hull FC academy product Harman has joined the Vikings for 2025, becoming the club’s 14th signing.

The 19-year-old half-back came through the ranks at the MKM Stadium, playing for their reserve side in 2024 as well as making 14 appearances in League 1 whilst on loan with Rochdale Hornets and Newcastle Thunder.

Jeylan Hodgson

Goole’s 15th recruit came in the shape of another ex-Hull FC youngster with Hodgson, the brother of Leigh Leopards ace Bailey and the nephew of NRL stalwart Josh.

19-year-old Jeylan joined Hull’s academy in 2023 from NRL outfit Newcastle Knights, and also spent time with Castleford Tigers at junior level.

Representing Yorkshire Academy in 2023, he never made a first-team appearance for FC before his departure from the MKM Stadium, but did feature once on loan at Doncaster in the season just gone, starting at hooker in a defeat to Sheffield Eagles.

Manoa Wacokecoke

The first signing announced by Goole in November was outside-back Wacokecoke, who joins the League 1 outfit following his departure from Championship outfit Featherstone.

20-year-old Wacokecoke, who has Fijian heritage, played his junior rugby at local side Cottingham Tigers and went on to represent Yorkshire Academy in 2022.

Spending time in Hull FC’s youth ranks, he made his bow at senior level in the ‘professional’ section of the pyramid for Fev in 2024, scoring seven tries in 11 appearances during his time at Post Office Road.

Andy Ellis

Andy Ellis
Andy Ellis pictured in 2010 during his time as a Harlequins player

Veteran hooker Ellis, who will turn 40 in December, was Goole’s 17th confirmed signing.

Having made his senior debut for Hull KR back in 2003, he will take to the field in the ‘professional’ section of the British game’s pyramid for the first time since 2019 next season.

He had come out of retirement in 2019 to don a shirt for York, playing three games to take his career appearance tally up to a whopping 354!

Joe Phillips

England Academy international Phillips joins the Vikings ahead of 2025 having previously been in Leeds Rhinos’ youth ranks, with the club stating they fought off competition for his signature.

Another who featured for Yorkshire in the Academy Origin Series, 18-year-old Phillips is a former Siddal junior and featured for Leeds in pre-season ahead of the campaign just gone.

Jack Coventry

30-year-old Coventry joins Goole having made more than 100 appearances across the Championship and League 1, playing the majority of his career at Hunslet, Keighley and Oldham.

The prop – who won promotion from League 1 with Hunslet in 2024 – made his senior debut in the game in 2015 for Featherstone Rovers and has also donned a shirt for both Midlands Hurricanes and Dewsbury Rams.

Misi Taulapapa

Taulapapa will go around again in 2024: and he will be be 43 by the time the new season gets underway! Like a fine wine…

The former Samoa international has made 373 career appearances, with 38 of those coming in the NRL for New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla Sharks between 2006 and 2009.

Taulapapa came over to England with Sheffield in 2010 and has been on these shores ever since, representing Featherstone, Newcastle Thunder, Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets and now Goole.

The 42-year-old will add a wealth of experience to the Vikings’ ranks in 2025, having been part of Samoa’s World Cup squad back in 2008.

Jake McLoughlin

Versatile forward McLoughlin was the Vikings’ 21st confirmed signing ahead of the 2025 campaign, joining from community club Hammersmith Hills Hoists. Based in London, he helped them to the Southern Counties League title last season.

McLoughlin has plenty of experience in the lower levels of the game both in England and Down Under, only previously featuring in the British game’s ‘professional’ pyramid once for Doncaster back in 2020.

During his time in Australia, the forward played representative football at youth level as well as featuring for country clubs in rugby league before relocating to the UK at the age of 21.

Now 30, he’s capable of playing through the middle or on an edge, and played at stand-off in the early days of his career.

Bailey Dawson

21-year-old back-rower Dawson became the 22nd confirmed Goole recruit for 2025, and he joins on the back of a 2024 campaign which saw him make 17 appearances for Dewsbury Rams.

A product of the City of Hull Academy, he also spent time with both Hull KR and Castleford Tigers, though never made a Super League appearance.

Having gone on to don a shirt for both Midlands Hurricanes and Whitehaven as well as Dewsbury, the young forward now has 33 senior appearances on his CV in total, scoring six tries in the process.

Mike Ogunwole

Mike Ogunwole
Mike Ogunwole – Image credit: Steve Miller / Barrow Raiders

The Vikings have also brought in Ogunwole from Championship outfit Barrow. A two-time Nigeria international, the versatile forward was born in Hackney and qualifies to represent the Green Hawks through his heritage.

Ogunwole was on the books of rugby union outfit Saracens as a youngster before stepping away from the sport to pursue a military career, where he played for the British Army’s rugby league team.

He has since played for Newcastle Thunder and Barrow: and has been granted permission to join Goole by the Army. The 27-year-old will continue to undertake his military service alongside his training schedule with the Vikings.

Callum Shaw

Goole snapped up another former Hull FC young gun in the shape of Shaw as their 24th recruit for the 2025 campaign, with the outside-back’s arrival announced towards the end of November.

Now 19, Shaw didn’t make a first-team appearance for Hull, but featured eight times on loan for Whitehaven in the Championship last term. He will form part of Taylor’s Vikings squad next year.

Tyler Craig

The Vikings’ 25th signing came in the shape of ex-York and Newcastle Thunder ace Craig, who joins them from community club Heworth.

Now 31, Craig can slot into the centres or in the back-row. He featured 75 times between York and Newcastle before stepping away from the ‘professional’ section of the pyramid in 2021 to concentrate on his career away from the game.

Having continued playing at amateur level with Heworth, he now makes a return to League 1 for 2025.

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